UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma laughs after delivering a punchline during his address to the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma laughs after delivering a punchline during his address to the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on ... more

UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma chats with incoming St. Vincent's Foundation executive director Lyn McCarthy, of Easton, during the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma chats with incoming St. Vincent's Foundation executive director Lyn McCarthy, of Easton, during the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday ... more

UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma laughs after delivering a punchline during his address to the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma laughs after delivering a punchline during his address to the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on ... more

Photographer Russ Decerbo asks UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma a question following Auriemma's address to the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

Photographer Russ Decerbo asks UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma a question following Auriemma's address to the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, ... more

Michael Bisciglia, retiring vice president of the St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, is lauded at the annual SWIM Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

Michael Bisciglia, retiring vice president of the St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, is lauded at the annual SWIM Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on ... more

Michael Bisciglia, retiring vice president of the St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, addresses the annual SWIM Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

Michael Bisciglia, retiring vice president of the St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, addresses the annual SWIM Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, ... more

Clothier and St. Vincent's Foundation board member Bill Mitchell listens as UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma addresses the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

Clothier and St. Vincent's Foundation board member Bill Mitchell listens as UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma addresses the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in ... more

Vazzy's restauranteur John Vazzano listens as UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma addresses the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. less

Vazzy's restauranteur John Vazzano listens as UCONN women's basketball Coach Geno Auriemma addresses the annual Swim Across the Sound fundraising breakfast at the Holiday Inn in Bridgeport, Conn., on Wednesday, ... more

BRIDGEPORT -- Just like that, the Swim Across the Sound's annual celebrity breakfast suddenly needed a celebrity.

Bobby Valentine had been scheduled to be the featured speaker at the 17th annual breakfast, but two weeks before the event, Valentine had to back out to attend to some business in Tokyo, and the scramble was on to find a replacement. Committee member Bill Mitchell made one phone call.

Not only did the head coach of the seven-time NCAA champion UConn women's basketball team say yes, he also helped the breakfast sell out. Close to 500 people packed the ballroom at the downtown Holiday Inn Wednesday morning to listen to Auriemma tell jokes, fire off a few barbs and speak from the heart about how much the Swim means to the state.

"The commitment that's been made here," Auriemma said of St. Vincent's history with the Swim Across the Sound, now in its 26th year, "it's a reflection of the passion of St. Vincent's Hospital and all the people involved over these many, many years. You are all to be congratulated."

The celebrity breakfast was expected to raise an estimated $110,000 to continue to help fund St. Vincent's cancer screening and prevention programs at low or no cost for the under-insured or the non-insured. The Swim Across the Sound also helps individual cancer patients on a case-by-case basis with specific needs, such as wigs, prostheses, medication assistance, free transportation to treatments and support groups.

Auriemma spoke for about 25 minutes, telling the crowd that he was looking forward to coming back to Bridgeport in about three weeks for the 2013 NCAA East Regional, which will be played at the Webster Bank Arena.

"I've made quite a lot of friends during my short visits here," Auriemma said. "I don't know this city very well, I don't know this area very well, but I found out by coming down here to play that you didn't need a passport to get to Bridgeport from Storrs. We've made an awful lot of fans here. They've made our program feel welcome."

Auriemma also made a prediction -- telling the crowd that his Huskies were going to win the Big East tournament.

"We are going to win the (Big East) tournament and we're going to win our first-and second-round NCAA games in Storrs," he said. "Then, we're going to come here to Bridgeport, I'm going to visit a couple of good Italian restaurants and we're going to win these two games here and we're going to the Final Four."

That is, if the Huskies can find a way to get the mental block of two losses to Notre Dame (and six losses in the past seven meetings) from their minds.

"It's been a difficult year, not because of the wins and losses, but because of injuries to some of these kids," said Auriemma, who has seen seven players -- Bria Hartley, Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, Stefanie Dolson, Brianna Banks, Kiah Stokes and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis -- miss games due to injuries this season.

"We haven't had a chance to have our entire lineup for the entire season. And it's tough on these kids. They're constantly under such a microscope. Everything they do is examined. It takes a lot of them. No other (women's) team in the country gets this kind of media coverage. And that's good ¦ but the kids feel the pressure.

"We have to be the most miserable 27-3 team in America. Why? Because it's Connecticut and 27-3 at Connecticut is like, `You know ¦ they're not having a good year. They've lost to Notre Dame twice, they've lost to Baylor. I don't think this is their year. Next year, they could be really good.' That's just the bar we're created."

Of course, there were several funny moments. Auriemma couldn't resist taking a few jabs at the Irish. Or his favorite foil, Tennessee.

"I hate everything Irish, especially when they keep beating our (blank)," Auriemma said to laughter. "On St. Patrick's Day, I wear orange ¦ and everyone knows how much I hate orange."